Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Vicente Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Vicente

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $767 in Sao Vicente.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,295 in Sao Vicente.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,823 in Sao Vicente.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 189% more expensive than Sao Vicente, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Sao Vicente is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$5.46 R$27.77

189.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$32.51 R$165

92.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$6.44 R$32.79

63.66%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$1.72 R$8.77

61.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.21 R$6.15

88.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.81 R$4.12

91.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.75 R$8.89

102.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.64 R$13.43

50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.01 R$5.15

6.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.76 R$8.94

0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.32 R$6.71

34.09%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.38 R$12.11

31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$10.84 R$55.2

23.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$4.08 R$20.76

95.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$8.23 R$41.88

93.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.76 R$8.98

29.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.21 R$6.17

35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.45 R$7.36

36.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.67 R$8.52

46.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.32 R$6.73

34.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.34 R$6.84

47.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.94 R$4.79

109.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.88 R$4.46

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$1.77 R$9.02

269.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$7.71 R$39.22

-25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.36 R$6.90

-2.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.12 R$10.79

41.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.92 R$4.66

154.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$38.88 R$198

17.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$1.10 R$5.59

287.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.58 R$2.94

44.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$7.53 R$38.29

150.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.03 R$5.25

100.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.2K €30.3K

$21.0K R$107.1K

67.45%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.6K €33.2K

$28.5K R$145.1K

35.35%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$151 €130

$52.2 R$266

189.58%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.91 €18.00

$16.36 R$83.2

27.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$21.84 R$111

81.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$18.23 R$92.8

165.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$21.79 R$111

-14.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$7.08 R$36.04

27.68%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$610 €525

$284 R$1,445

114.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$7,867 R$40.0K

106.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$47.20 R$240

114.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$39.70 R$202

2.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$76.0 R$387

22.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$56.5 R$287

110.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$250 R$1,272

541.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$200 R$1,016

520.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$774 R$3,938

290.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$477 R$2,428

331.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$1,538 R$7,828

418.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,103 R$5,611

310.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$392 R$1,995

315.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.21

-66.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Sao Vicente: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $250 in Sao Vicente. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 315% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Sao Vicente for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $198 per month, with Sao Vicente cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Sao Vicente: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sao Vicente differ by about 189% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $767 including rent). Sao Vicente is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 315% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $250 in Sao Vicente. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $284 in Sao Vicente. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $767 in Sao Vicente versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Vicente but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Vicente the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sao Vicente are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Vicente gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.